The Cave
by AdrienneGracify
Summary: Rosaline is forced to marry Rabastan Lestrange.But when the person who changed her life is captured, losing her identity won't be the biggest challenge that comes with the escape.Staying alive will be. If only prisons kept their prisoners in.FullSumInside
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:**

**Rosaline Malfoy is forced by her parents into an engagement with a respectable pure blood man, Rabastan Lestrange, who not only is twice her age but is also her uncle. But when the one person who changed her blood supremacist ideology is captured and brought to Malfoy Manor, losing her family and whole identity won't be the biggest challenge that comes with the escape. Staying alive will be. If only prisons kept their prisoners in.**

_Hello! I have a new story, for those of you who are currently reading Muggle Missing, for those who aren't welcome to reading my work!_

_I won't go to much in detail about this piece since I believe that it may give some things away to soon. But No this is not a slash piece, (sorry to those who hoped it was!) I picked Rabastan and Fred because they will have the most impact on this story, instead of FredxOC or RabastanxOC because they will both be equal in who moves the story forward. I hope it doesn't upset to many people that I did this. Also I apologize in advance for the lack of Fred Weasley in the first couple chapters, but if you wait a bit I promise he will be in this story. A lot._

**Also I am not JKR, I believe that anybody visiting a Fan Fiction site would know that in advance, but to those who believed for a bit that I am JKR, sorry to severely disappoint you. Although I am a female with red hair(currently) I look nothing like her. But apparently my British accent is "Unbelievable" according to those who have heard it.**

_Oh yes, to my Muggle Missing fans, no I have not given up Muggle Missing, I came up with this story right about the time I first started writing Muggle Missing(March) and started writting this in June, I finished this chapter before I finished chapter 7 of Muggle Missing, but that one is up next unless Chapter two of The Cave writes itself first._

_Reviews, comments, questions, favorites and alerts are welcomed!_

**Chapter 1- Prisoners and Prefects**

"_The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! _The dark haired woman screamed out to the Wizengamot. _Throw us into Azkaban. We will wait! He will rise again and will come for us. He will reward us beyond other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!_" She rattled bars of the cage that held her and three men. They were, her husband Rolodophus, the thicker man with the blank stare; his brother Rabastan, the leaner one with a hungry visage and shifty eyes; and finally a sandy haired boy only a bit older than I am, Barty Crouch Jr. The woman was Bellatrix Lestrange and the men behind her in the cage were convicted Death Eaters, some of the loyalist and most sadistic followers of the Dark Lord. They had tortured the two aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity, and for this they were sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison.

I watched from my seat on the spectator bench as the memory dissolved around me and I found myself back inside my father's study. I had been watching the trial in my father's pensieve. Pensieves were useful creations for understanding the past since one could go back and relive memories. My father's lovely onyx one sat in its place of honor on its carved, bird-eye Maple stand. As things in the world were changing rather rapidly just now, understanding the past was even more key to understanding the present than usual. These times reflected not just the typical ebb and flow of power and politics,-they were but something far more drastic, a whole new world order that has always been a priority on Pure Bloods' and Dark Wizards' agenda. Not six months prior, the Dark Lord had risen from the abyss to the power of shadows and nightmares, undetected due to the ignorance and selective attention of the Ministry. Dark times lay ahead for those of mixed or less than aristocratic blood and the Muggles they futilely tied to protect.

A loud pop from the entry hall, down the hall from the study interrupted my thoughts. _They're here._ I levitated the bowl back into its cabinet. Clearing my mind, using my skills in occulmency, to shut away my thoughts from curious peering minds, I straightened my dress, black lace over a light pink satin, long sleeves and reached just to my knees, and walked out to greet our newest house guests, coincidentally the subjects of my pensieve memory: my mother's sister Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus, and his younger brother Rabastan. They were staying with us indefinitely we gathered, since tonight had been the second break-out from Azkaban Prison.

"Good Evening," I politely greeted my aunt and uncles, as they and my parents took off their wraps in the entry. "How did the break-out go? I take it the dementors were cooperative?"

"Yes, very much so. Bella you remember Rosaline?" My father answered and reintroduced me to my aunt. I had met her in the flesh once or twice as toddler, but knew more of her from my father's memories and my mother's childhood stories about her.

"Yes of course, my favorite goddaughter," My Aunt replied, falsely sweet, reaching out and embracing me in an awkward hug. I was repulsed by her personality but I tried not to stiffen too much at her touch.

"Your only goddaughter," I muttered to the side as I stepped back. I doubted that she wanted to think of her other niece, the half-blood from her blood-traitor of a sister.

"Rosaline, it's been so long since we've seen you last," Bellatrix said with a bit of a forced smile, seeming not to have heard my interjection. "How are you liking Hogwarts? Is Professor Snape treating you well?"

"Yes, Auntie, I have been enjoying it. Professor Snape is a fine Head of House and no doubt will make an excellent Headmaster. He even named Draco and me Prefects!"

"But you are not Head Girl?" interrupted my Uncle Rodolphus. "What a shame, what a shame. You would think that a Malfoy could do better than just a Prefect. Your Father and I were both Head Boys. I would expect you and Draco to be the same." I kept my smiling façade up, despite the conversation. I hid the malice I felt and tried to think about how it was an honor to have the Dark Lord and his most faithful staying in my family's home. But although I was raised to this, I had my misgivings. I felt uneasy, as if they might be able to see into my less than loyal thoughts.

"Rosa, go fetch Draco and bring him down here, please. I am certain that he would like to greet his relatives" bid my mother, knowing that I needed an escape from them all. I could hear the strain in her voice. I knew that having literally the Houseguests from Hell was going to be tough on her also.

I curtsied slightly and made my exit, making my way up stairs to Draco's room. It was more of a cave than a room, really. He kept himself holed up there with his brainless baboons of friends and rabbits of girlfriends most of the time, only coming out to eat or to entertain the brainless baboons outside of the house. My brother Draco was a git at the best of times and at the worst, well let's just say that eating a whole pot flayed flobberworms was more appealing than spending time with him. Like the rest of the family he had the pure blood mania, eager to get as high up as he could in the Dark Lord's graces. I wondered if the Dark Lord cared; would it make any difference to him if his followers fawned less?

I rapped my hand against his door. "What?" His face barely peaked out. "Come to tell me about supper? I already ate." He closed the door quickly again.

I rapped again, this time to no response. "Fine then. Don't come down. Your funeral," I called back and began to walk off when the door creaked back open behind me.

"What did you say?" Draco spat back at me.

"Nothing. Nothing is down there, except for Auntie Bella, and seeing as she hardly knows you I do not believe that she would be too happy to hear that you do not wish to see her." I smirked. "So I guess I'll be seeing you at your funeral. Do you prefer Lilies and a Black Box, or would you prefer chrysanthemums, daises, and a mahogany box to better reflect your sunny disposition?" I walked away from him, knowing he would follow.

We entered the dining hall to see everyone sitting around the table diving into a late supper. Mother motioned me to sit down next to Rabastan, my younger uncle; he was only about 35 compared to his brother and Bellatrix's 50. I'm sure that before Azkaban he had been quite a handsome man, but the years in there had taken their toll on his looks as well as his health. His eyes and cheeks looked hollow and sunken in. He was starkly pale from the lack of sun. His blue eyes met mine as I sat down next to him.

My father cleared his throat to break up this little moment. I looked up and saw Bella grinning from behind her wine glass. She looked vampiric through the red wine, which was not surprising, given her general demeanor, fashion sense, and use of extreme make-up. At that moment the Dark Lord himself floated into the room. His face sunken, slit like nostrils flaring, and red eyes blazing, he sat down at the end of the table opposite my father. I swallowed hard. The Dark Lord had been here for a few months but because of school I had not been around him. Returning home for the Winter Holidays, my family's home no longer seemed welcoming—it was a cold and scary place now. The fireplaces lacked warmth, and despite the fluttering flames inside them only emitted cold ash and soot. The windows that had once let in the sun were now permanently darkened by thick, grey permafrost. The stone walls of my once castle functioned now as a dungeon and a prison.

I felt something move around my feet and hiss as I moved away from it. I looked quickly, saw Nagaini, and regretted it. The Dark Lord's massive familiar snake, Nagaini sparked the phobia of snake I'd had since I was little. Draco had found one in the garden and had thrown it in my bed for me, telling me when I screamed not to look at it, since it was a basilisk. Of course it was only a garden snake, but what did I know as a kid? The brown could have merely been dirt covering the acid green scales of a monster.

'It seems our favorite Syltherin princess is afraid of snakes," hissed the Dark Lord, to the chuckles of the table.

"Seems is an understatement, my Lord, but it is!" My new least favorite uncle chortled to the assembled company and then addressed me. "How is it that you are frightened by snakes? Did you not know that your houses mascot is a snake because the founder, old Serpent Tongue himself, was a parselmouth?"

"Yes, I knew that, everybody does, it was in _Hogwarts: A History_," I replied with as much composure as I could muster "Has Draco told you yet about his first year as a Perfect? I heard that one of the muggle-born prefects actually gave him a detention." Not wanting to be the mockery of the table I redirected them to Draco, who returned the favor by giving me a look of pure hatred.

"Is this true, Draco?" Father asked, taken aback. He looked as if somebody had told him his wand had fallen into a pile of dung.

"No." He replied quickly. "She took away ten points, so I took 50 away for being a mudblood." The table erupted with laughter.

"How is the new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher?" Rabastan asked me quietly, once the conversation had turned once again to the ever-fascinating topic of Muggle-borns were vermin who should be exterminated from the earth as quickly as possible. I looked up at him questioningly. He continued with a smile: "What , don't tell me they have finally found a person who will stay more than a year? I know I may be a bit older than you but even back then they didn't last long."

"She is alright, I replied indifferently, in truth I hated her but didn't want to dwell on the subject. "She's ministry appointed and gave me a detention at the start of the term, but since then she's been a bit better."

"What was the detention for? Surely you could not cause that much trouble." Rabastan asked a hint of a smile at his lips again.

"For objecting to not being able to practice magic in her class. She believes that it's safer for us to not practice defensive spells, but that the theory is sufficient. I disagreed and she gave me a detention. We haven't really gotten along since, but since I joined the Inquisitorial Squad she has been a tad bit nicer." I said bitterly. It wasn't just me who objected, but the entire class. After she gave detentions to _others_ who objected, I spoke up. She made an example out of all of us.

"Well, I do have to agree with her on the safety part," he said, going back to his soup. I stared at him, surprised. "I mean Rose," he stopped and put down his spoon."When will _you_ ever have to use defensive magic?"

"I mean, even if you do not wish to join the ranks, what danger are you in? Once the Dark Lord has fully taken over Muggles will no longer be a threat. You are a respectable pure blood. I'm sure you will make a respectable marriage and your husband will defend you if there is cause. You will not need defensive magic."

I looked up at him questioningly. He knew my back story. I had been approached by my father to join the Death Eater ranks and take the mark, but had refused as politely as I could, citing my need to continue my education. How could he know all this? He had only been out of Azkaban for a few hours.

"Yes, but there's always some danger," I countered, notwithstanding. "And what if I want to duel somebody? What if somebody does attack me sometime? What would I do then? Shoot them with sparks or flowers? Would theory be enough to teach _you_ how to use magic?"

He chortled at that. "Rose, who will ever want to duel you? Girls don't duel. And surely you do not wish to engage anybody in a duel. You would not win, you surely know that."

"My Mother and my Aunt know how. What makes you think I shouldn't? If I don't learn magic then how could I even win if I were attacked? To learn would only give a fighting chance."

"Yes well, Bellatrix and Narcissa are different," he said, waving his hand in dismissal and shaking his head.

"How so? Why am I a different category of female? Am I not a woman like they are? I have top marks, I always do well in my studies. Would you have been able to get by on just theory? Would Bella or your brother have been able to?"

"Are you really comparing yourself to your aunt? Rose, you are a flower. You should be put on a pedestal and worshiped and should never have thoughts about wars or fighting. Anyway, didn't any of your other teachers teach anything about dueling?"

"Yes, in my fourth year Gilderoy Lockheart taught us some, but quit because of attacks on other students. Then last year Professor Moody taught us some things about defense as well as certain spells in your area of expertise. I do believe you knew Moody?"

"Yes, I knew him well," he added, adverting his gaze.

"I bet you did." I said back coolly. I knew this wasn't just because he was brought in to Azkaban by the famous Mad Eye Moody, but because he knew that last year there had been an imposter at Hogwarts and that impostor was none other than the other man who had helped him torture the Longbottoms into insanity. He knew Crouch had been the impostor. I moved around the food on my plate. I had lost my appetite being around the dinner guests like these.

"You never answered my question," I said looking back up at him.

"What question was that?" he asked annoyed.

"Would you yourself be able to get by on just theory?" I persisted.

"No, no I guess I would not, I just hope that you never have to see battle, if you do not wish to," he said placing special emphasis on the word "if."

"How do you know if I do or do not wish to?" I asked him, curious at how he seemed to think he knew everything about me, despite only having just met me.

"Oh, your father told us that you do not wish to take the mark but that your brother does," he said, fixing me with his piercing blue eyes.

Of course my brother had wanted to take the Mark, I thought, anything to set himself above Potter. Rabastan returned to his meal while I sat there disgusted. If he thought that he could not have gotten by on just theory then how could he expect anybody else to be able to? I guessed that the reason was because they didn't want anybody to be able to fight them, even family.

With a fluid movement the Dark Lord rose from his seat. "I believe I shall retire for the night. Nagaini, Come." He left without another word, disappearing into the darkness of the hall. He was staying in the house, but thankfully in the room the furthest away from my room.

I got up from my chair and left for a stroll in the garden. I had to settle my nerves. I took a breath of fresh air. The garden was dark. It once had held happy memories for me, playing in the dirt with Dobby our old house elf trying to keep me from getting too messy before dinner. He had been a good friend to me when I was younger. Under that lilac he would tell me stories when I was younger and create amazing tales of princesses and unknown magical creatures whom they tamed. He and I even had sword fights and pillow fights, since if I did it with Draco, he would hurt me likely as not. Dobby entertained me with magic and mysteries all my youth. I missed him now. I was the only member of the family who viewed Dobby as a creature with feelings, more than just a slave and my father's property. It was too bad he had been freed by Potter, his new idol, his new hero.

"Fenir, come here." Rabastan said, watching Rosaline as she disappeared into the night.

"What?" The werewolf asked, annoyed that he had been beckoned like a dog.

"Follow her," Rabastan said, keeping her in his intense gaze.

"My pleasure," Greyback said with a wicked sneer. He slipped out into the shadows, silently stalking Rosaline's retreating form.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody! So ****I**** finally got the review back for this chapter and the next. **

**It is basically the same, a few things were changed. You should still read it. **

**Um, if you want to read more from me check out my other story, Muggle Missing. It's pretty good. If you want more updates, review or PM me asking for updates. **

**Also please leave me reviews so I know what ya'll think of this story and where it is going. :)**

**Also if you hate that I don't post often enough, you can add this story on your favorites list and the alert list. That way you get emails when I update.**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything that goes along with the universe. This is just a fan fiction. I have never nor will ever claim anything.**

**Although seriously that would be awesome.**

The Cave- Chapter 2

The Engagement

_"Professor?" I asked, sticking my head into the dimly lit office of the head of house._

_ "Yes?" Professor Snape answered, looking up from his desk, students' papers in neat piles around the sides, no doubt separated by house, or by whom he tolerated the least. He scribbled something at the top of the page and moved onto the next one in the pile. _

_ "Professor, No doubt you have heard about the plans to break into Azakaban Prison"I began. _

_ "No, I have not, Miss Malfoy. I do not believe that it is any of your business what happens with the Dark Lord's followers, since you declined an invitation to join. You should do your best to put it from your mind and focus on your studies." He did not look up from his papers. His face bent to them, trying concentrate; his nose almost touched the paper in fact._

_ "Well Professor, that's just it. I can't. And with you-know-who staying at my family's house and the break-out happening soon…I need to be able to keep to myself, so to say. I wish to learn occulemncy."_

_ "Why may I ask?"He finally looked up from the papers. Sitting up, he looked more intimidating, and I almost stepped back, but I knew that if I stood my ground, I would have a better chance at getting my favor fulfilled. I stood up straighter and raised my chin. _

_ "No you may not, although I do believe that if you understood my predicament-you know my family's beliefs and my Aunt's mania… " I trailed off, moving my hand ever so slightly to touch the scar on my right forearm. "I believe learning occulemncy would be in my best interest, sir."_

_ "Very well then, I do see your point," he grudgingly admitted. "Meet me back here tomorrow night after dinner. I believe that I do not have to ask you to keep this to yourself, as you well know I do not give private lessons to students." He gave a brief glance at my arm, his eyes lingering on the scar there._

_ "Yes, of course, sir. Tomorrow it is." I turned and walked out of the room._

I heard a rustling of branches behind me as I walked down towards the edge of the pond. I quickly looked around to see who the intruder was, but there was nobody there. I cleared my mind to make sure my thoughts were safe. With my aunt around, however, there was no telling how safe anybody was.

Dismissing the sound as just the wind, I turned back to the pond and stared into its depths. How easy it would be to jump in, and be immersed in the cool waters, be surrounded by the friendly hands of the grindelows. In some ways, what I wouldn't give to be away from all of this, I thought. Away from the hatred and the wars, the violence and prejudice. Just to be, or not be, because if I was there and not here, I would be neither here nor there? It would just be nothing, but would there really be nothing? If I was to sleep under the lake would it really be sleep, uninterrupted slumber pure blissful nothingness, or like so many long nights of thunder where interruptions came and went like the sun and always were promised to come back like a new days dusk. That there is the new question, what would this new-found freedom bring? Would the trouble to end all of the pain end the inherent anguish or would it in turn cause more? But if there is trouble would it be so much worse than it is here? Where love is ignored and rejected and authority questioned. Here where the wrong is right and the right is wrong. A dark shadow fell over the pond and cold shivers ran up my spine. It was as he, the one not from our world, the one we all will meet and have our last dance and our final kiss, Death. In the darkness he waits patiently, watching us, eager for the chance to take us from our lives. Whether we embrace Death as a lover, a friend, or our enemy he takes us all, the young and old. He is the one the Dark Lord fears most.

"Nice night, isn't it?" A cool voice interrupted my whirling thoughts. I froze, but looking up, found the cool blue eyes of Rabastan gazing into mine. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, his "depth" was nowhere to be found in that azure stillness. His eyes, like a well, reflected but gave out no light.

"Yes. That's why I came out for a walk," I replied.

"You seem to be doing a lot of walking. Do you always ignore your surroundings when you are out?" He asked inquisitively.

"Of course I know what's going on around me. " I replied with a short smile.

"Oh really? So you know that Fenir Greenback's watching you from behind the bushes?" He gestured to a dark clump of greenery a few feet away. Sure enough, there was Greyback. My blood ran cold "I saw him following you out, and wanted to make sure that you were alright. He has a nasty temper and wouldn't mind a new addition to his pack," Rabastan added, he smiled sweetly. There was something creepy about him. He gave me goose bumps. I knew that he was just trying to scare me and I let him have the satisfaction, but I was intrigued and comforted that he seemed interested in my safety.

We walked back up to the mansion together. I guess I should have felt like being nicer, as this was probably the first real human contact that he had had in a long time, but the fact that he was a Death Eater just disgusts me. He landed himself in Azkaban. He was deranged and vile, and if he ever found out that I wasn't for their "cause" I would be dead. My aunt would personally see to it.

As we came up to the French doors, Belatrix's voice echoed over us: "…Can even use Great Grandmother Violetta's ring. Do you still have it, Narcissa?" My father sat in the armchair by the fire; Draco and my mother were on the love seat, while Bella and Rolodophus sat on the couch opposite them. As we came strolling in, they all looked up at us, Draco with an apologetic look for some reason Bella on the other hand looked excited to see us.

"Did you have a nice stroll Rosaline?" My father asked me.

"Yes, it was lovely." I said, I sat down on the other couch opposite my father, Rabastan next to me. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, we were just talking about your future," Bella replied with an evil grin.

"My future?" I asked.

"Yes, your engagement specifically," My father calmly answered.

Shocked, I sat there gapping at them. Draco's guilty look made sense all of a sudden. He knew what they were going to ambush me with. I glanced at the little weasel and to his credit, he looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but sitting there. I don't really blame him, I would rather be anywhere.

"Engagement? What engagement? I'm not engaged, I'm not even dating anybody," I said as serenely as I could.

"Well, you see we think it would be best if you settled down with a respectable pure blood," father purred, tossing his long mane.

"You've already made that clear." I interjected.

"Well, since you haven't found anybody on your own, we-" he motioned around the room-. "felt that it would be best to arrange a marriage for you. Both of our marriages were arranged," he added, nodding to my mother and my aunt and uncle.

"Who exactly I am being forced to marry?" I asked. I was perturbed that they thought I couldn't find myself a husband when I hadn't even left school yet.

"Rabastan, the man himself." Bella replied smiling. Rabastan shot her a look so swift I thought he would get whiplash. "Rabastan and you will be married," she in that false sweet voice of hers, pretending to act caring.

"What? No. I mean no, he's my uncle." I said. Rabastan himself seemed dumbfounded by the news. He just stared at Bella saying nothing.

"Only by marriage and very distantly yes, since all pure bloods are related," Bella replied unconcerned. "So shall we set the date?"

"No date, there isn't going to be a wedding. I'm only 17!" I objected.

"Rosaline, be reasonable, if you haven't found anybody by now, you never will. Both your mother and aunt were married right out of school," My father said.

"They may have been, but I'm not. I'm still _in_ school," I argued. Rabastan was strangely quiet; I guess he wasn't as opinionated about his future as I was. "I'm not going through with this."

"Only for a few more months." Bella replied.

"You can't be serious. Sure only for a few months but after that, what about a job?" I said.

"This is a respectable marriage, and once the Dark Lord has taken over you won't need a job." Bella said. "So stop being ungrateful and accept it."

"No. I won't, you cannot dictate my life." I said.

"Rosaline, I am your father and you will do as I say. If you do not, we will disown you." My father said sternly but my mother practically shrieked at his words. She would never let me be disowned, she wouldn't openly reject this marriage but she might be willing for one with one of my fellow students. I would still object to them. Terrance Higgs felt me up at the Yule Ball so I hexed him, so he was out in my mind. Marcus Flint had asked me out a few years back, I told him I had standards.

"How about once you graduate? We could have a lovely summer wedding." Bella replied, ignoring my protests. She knew she would win out in the end.

"What about the next summer? Let Rosaline figure out where she is going in life and let the details of her dream wedding be worked out later,." a cold voice intoned from behind us. I looked around to see the Dark Lord standing there. "We have plans for taking over the Wizarding world, and I need my best followers to be on the top of their game. Once everything is settled then we can have a wedding. Anyway don't all comedies end in a wedding? Why shouldn't ours?" He smirked. At his words my fate was finalized. I didn't have to choose an action; it had been chosen for me.

"Well then, I guess it's settled," Rabastan said matter-of-factly but I still couldn't tell what he was thinking. Did he want to get married?

"Let me be the first to congratulate you two and give you my blessing" Voldemort bowed graciously. "Let us have a toast. To Rabastan and Rosaline." He said raising a glass.

"Alright," I said. I had to at least feign acquiescence. I knew that much. If I was disowned there would be no future for me. I could have joined part of the resistance, but I could never fight my family.

**Please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is this chapter re-uploaded with Christie's review! **

**So in this chapter I finally introduce Fred, and for the most part he will be in a lot of the future chapters. I don't have an exact outline worked out since, when I do make those, I never follow them. Like I did for Muggle Missing, I'm kinda laughing at the story for how I was going to write it was back in April vs how it is being written now. (It still is the same basic story; I just changed some of the events, characters, and details so that it would fit better in the HP universe. Still the major events that are coming up in MM are still going to be there and are about the same as when I first started writing it.)**

**Also all reviews are welcomed! So make sure to review! :)**

**I am not JKR, I don't own anything, No infringement is intended, and I'm just a fan with an imagination trying to improve their writing.**

**September 1991**

As the bell had sounded the release for lunch, the doors opened and the halls flooded with students. The third years, eager to get out of their first Potions class of the year, fled the class room, happy to be temporarily out of the surveillance of Professor Snape, the most hated teacher at Hogwarts. Their first class with him made the students realize that they were in for a long semester, particularly at his punitive reaction to the class's resident twin terrors accidently dropped exploding dung bombs at the beginning of the class. Of course it hadn't really been an accident, as the dour professor knew full well, and, to teach the terrors a lesson, he continued the class in the stinking classroom, much to the dismay and discomfort of the students.

As I walked out of the still smelly classroom, I felt a sharp object jab into my arm. A rush of warm blood started to spill of me and I grabbed my robe to stanch it. I smashed into Rochelle Bletchley, a half-blooded Slytherin in my year. Like most other half-bloods in the house she was weird and reclusive; she spent most of her time in the library with Hufflepuffs, rather than associate with her own house. Hufflepuffs were on the bottom on the house list, next to the Gryffindors.

"Ow! Hey! Watch it!" I yelled at what seemed to be the perpetrator, Graham Montague, my fellow Slytherin. He was one of the bigger students and one of many vying for chaser on the Slytherin quidditch team. "Sod off, Malfoy," he said, breezing by me, his weapon, whatever it was, safely out of sight. Sure anyway he was the one who had cut me, I reached for my wand to hex him, but no sooner had I touched it that I felt a whoosh of a green jinx pass my shoulder.

"Slugulus Eructo!" A voice from behind me had yelled. It was the slug vomiting charm. "Maybe you should watch what comes out of your mouth in front of a lady, Montague," said the same voice. I stepped back to get away from Montague in an attempt to keep my damaged arm slug-free, sterile, since Graham was now barfing up slugs in my general direction. The others in the press scattered too; we had all seen people get hit with the Slug Vomiting Charm last year.

"Weasley. Detention," intoned a steely voice. "A week's worth of scrubbing out cauldrons should teach you not to attack when a person's back is turned," Professor Snape continued. I whipped my head around. Weasley? As in Fred or George? The voice had sounded like them, but why would one of them defend me? "But Professor, didn't you see what he did to Rosaline? He cut her arm and swore at her. Just look at her bloody arm!" And indeed my robe had not been enough to contain the bleeding and I was a mess. Was this Fred, I wondered? Or George? He was sometimes slightly nicer to me. Still, why would he risk detention just to help me? To piss off a Slytherin, I surmised. There was no other reason.

"Language, Mr. Wesley. Miss Malfoy can defend herself, or have you not seen her duel? Although it is quite touching that you would be defending somebody of a different house, I am going to have to double your detentions, for both of you, seeing as one of you"—he looked meaningly at Fred or George—"will probably devise a way to get around actually being punished." Snape stalked off.

The rest of the remaining students, not wishing to have any Snapean punishments placed on _them_, quickly cleared the corridor. Fred and George also melted into the stream of students going to lunch, which was good since I didn't want to talk to them or even look at I felt bad that they both were getting detentions for sticking up for me. They really shouldn't have.

"Professor." I called out to the quickly disappearing Snape. "Is that really fair? To give them both detentions? I'm sure they were only trying to help." I hoped, no doubt foolishly, possibly to lessen their punishment, as a way of repayment. It would be much better than thanking them. I would die if I was ever seen talking to one of them, or even apologizing to them. Syltherins didn't get all chummy with Gryfindors; we didn't talk to them, we didn't even date the cute Purebloods. Especially the poor but pure-blood Weasleys. They were blood traitors, the whole family was.

Snape circled back swiftly, his face the usual blank paleness, giving nothing away. "Miss Malfoy, we both know it is more than fair. Attacking somebody from behind is the worst thing a person could do. Now get up to the hospital wing and have Madam Pomfrey look at your arm."

"Yes, OK, but shouldn't Montague be punished for attacking a fellow Slytherin?" Iasked, trying to sound self-righteous. Surely that tack would appeal to Snape's house loyalty. "Miss Malfoy, I have already given them detention, pestering me will only result in more, both for you and them, so I believe you should let the matter drop. Anyway, you could do with a little toughening up."

"My father will hear about this," I muttered as I turned away, disgusted that the Head of House would only care about punishing Gryffindors and not preventing discord in our own house.

"Detention. Tomorrow night," Snape reiterated. I was fuming. I wanted to write to my father at once explain what happened and see if he could get me out of detention.

"Thanks, " said a voice from behind me suddenly. Had the twin doubled back? Where did he come from? No other students were around the corridor. "Oh?" I turned and asked. It was one of the Weasleys, leaning up against the wall.

"You know what. Thank you, oh and you're welcome for hexing him, since I know you will never ask. It is usually the custom that when somebody helps somebody they say 'Thank You' and then when somebody says 'Thank you' they say 'You're Welcome'," he continued, walking alongside me.

"I have no clue what you are talking about, Weasley." I say and try to walk on and get my arm to stop bleeding. Had the weapon been jinxed or poisoned? "Do you need help getting up to the hospital wing?" he asked solicitously.

"I've only been here two years" I said coldly looking him in the eye. He had nice hazel eyes that at this moment showed real concern. Still, I persisted in my confrontive Slytherin way. "I believe I know where the hospital wing is at. I don't need your help."

"You sure? I could help carry your bag," he responded, smiling. I roll my eyes at him. All he wants to do is be a little hero. Saint Weasley, the good Gryffindor. I try to leave him and head up to the Hospital, but he tails along. He easily keeps pace with me and in the end takes my bag from me.

"Give it back!" I protest but he holds it over his head laughing that infectious Weasley twin laugh. I turn to head to the hospital wing and he follows along.

"Well, at least now we'll get some alone time," He said, winking at me. I scowled up at him "Well not really _alone_ since we'll be in detention and Snape will be there. Well, look on the bright side: it's only the beginning of the semester so the cauldrons won't be that bad, and there will be three of us to clean them."

"Sod off, Weasley. And give me my bag back," I said trying to get the point across. I reached out and managed to retake back my bag.

"Well, OK. If you don't want to be friends now, we can wait until tomorrow night. See you 'round, Rosalind, " the twin gave me an impish grin and moved off. Finally.

"By the way it's Ros-a-line," I said, emphasizing how my name is pronounced. I hate it when people don't get my name right.

"Oh yeah, but I bet you don't even know mine. You always just call me 'Weasley'," he countered quickly.

"Sod off, Weasley," I responded. Even though no one was about, I did not need, or want to be seen with a blood traitor. It was bad enough that he kept trying to help me. The guy could not take a hint that I am way out of his league.

"It's Fred, by the way. Not that it matters to you," he called after me.

Thinking back to that incident five years ago, I'm grateful to my secret hero. I will ever forget it: how he stuck up for me despite house rivalries

**1996**

But now I had other worries: impossibly, my engagement to a sadistic Death Eater and the upcoming term. It was the night before I left to go back to Hogwarts. Less than one week ago, I had felt I was a free bird. At Hogwarts, I thought, I'd be free of my parent's pure-blood mania. I could live as I wanted. Within the confines of school, I could control my own destiny. Now I was trapped in a cage. Even at Hogwarts I would be trapped. When I graduated I had a year to figure out where I was to work. By summer of next year, the ministry would have fallen and the Dark Lord would rule.

I looked out over the lawn at the white peacock. It had such a simple life. It didn't have to care. If only I could master being an animeagus, then I could escape all of this.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rabastan said from behind me. He moved up and stood next to me on the balcony.

"Yes it is." I replied, trying to not look at him.

"Shouldn't you be asleep? It's nearly dawn and you have a long train ride."

"Yes., that's right, but after all, I can sleep on the train."

"Excited to go back to school tomorrow?" he asked. I nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"Yes," I smiled what I hoped what a convincing smile. "It'll be great to get back and see my friends finish up my classes, and take my NEWTs too."

"Ah, the NEWTs. God, I don't miss studying for those," He leaned against the balcony. "I do miss Hogwarts though. I always loved my time there. Whenever I needed someplace just to think, I would go up to the Clock Tower. It was quiet-not many people went there, and I could just read in peace." He said. His normally cold face had become vacant and almost pleasant as he remembered those long ago days.

"It is a good place to be. Um, what did you read?"

"Dark Arts stuff of course. Barty Crouch, junior of course, and Regulus Black, your mother's first cousin who died about a year after you were born would join me up there. We would practice our curses on each other. We always were getting into some sort of trouble." he smiled a grim smile.

"Oh." I replied, discomfited that he would torture his friends for fun.

"Rose, I'm not a fool. I know our engagement is awkward. I know you would probably rather be with some handsome young captain of a quidditch team, but since this is what we've been dealt, we might as well make the most of it," Rabastan said, turning to look down at me.

"Look, I brought this out here to give to you," he added nervously, pulling out a ring box from his pocket. "It's your great-great-grandmother's ring that Bella and Narcissa, well mostly Bella, wanted you to have. It's a bit ostentatious and I doubt you want to go flashing it around at school since you aren't exactly dating anybody and I just escaped Azkaban." He took the ring out of the box and shivers ran up my spine.

It was a beautifully crafted Victorian ring; the center diamond was at least three carats if not bigger. Accent diamonds and emeralds were inlaid in such a way that it swirled around to resemble a flower on a delicate green background. The silver band around it had hand-engraved leaves and vines, twisting in creepy patterns. . There was something strange about the ring; although beautiful, the design not only formed a flower but it also an eye, an eye that it seemed would always be watching, whatever I do, wherever I go.

"I'll understand if you don't want to wear it or even take it to school with you. But you should still have it, as a symbol of our future relationship," he continued, sounding almost hopeful.

"It's beautiful." I said and smiled up at him. "When did they get the idea for us to get married?" Rabastan hesitated. "I know that the other night wasn't the first time you heard of it. I mean they were planning on breaking you out for a while now."

"No, it wasn't the first time. They brought it up a few months ago. Your father visited Azkaban and talked to Rodolphus and Bella about it. I stayed out of the discussion; it didn't seem relevant at the time, but that was why I tried to get to know you better the first day. It took me by surprise too. I thought that they would wait until the summer so we might have known each other a bit and then it wouldn't be so sudden."

"Maybe not," I said turning back out to the courtyard to see the first glimpse of dawn spreading out over the sky.

"Oh, I have something else for you." He pulled out a black velvet pouch from his jacket pocket. He handed it to me and I opened it.

"A compact? I don't really wear that much makeup." I said laughing. The compact had crystals set into the metal so that they formed a compass rose. The north spike was the longest with a scripted N at the top. The background of it was a shimmery pearl which reminded me of the stars. I turned around and the compass spun around so that the northern point stayed toward the north.

"It's in case you ever get lost and need to find your way back. It is also a two- way mirror. I have the other one, and so if you ever need somebody to talk to, I'll be there. It is better than owls, since they are being watched, and I'm sure that you would rather have a mirror on you than a bunch of quills and parchment." He smiled for real this time. How could a heartless Death Eater be talking like this? I didn't really know him. I didn't want this arranged marriage but at least he wasn't Voldemort, Jr. I had to keep from laughing out loud at the thought.

"Thanks" was all I said.

The rest of the house started to stir as the sun rose and we left for Kings Cross Station to head back to school. I felt heavy. This would be my final semester to enjoy the last of my freedom.

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	4. Chapter 4

***Edit* Chapter 2 and 3 have been re-uploaded, some stuff has changed. so go read them!**

**See this is what happens when you ask me to upload! I try to make sure I get something up. :) **

**So this chapter really wrote itself, its over 4000 words when I usually write around 2000. I probably could have gone on, but it was starting to drag for me. I hope you guys like this chapter. I had fun writing a 13 year old Rosaline, I was laughing while writing some of the things she was saying and thinking. She's such a little drama queen at that age, just like Draco. **

**Also you should check out the Musical Rebecca(You can look it up with English subs if you either cannot speak one of the languages it is in, or are like me and have limited German), I was listening to it throughout writing this chapter. It is an amazing musical, I've been a fan of the two guys who wrote it for a while now. I also love their musical Elisabeth, which you should also listen to. It's something different, from the sickeningly cheery musicals we have over here in the states. **

**Also make sure to check out my other story, Muggle Missing, it's longer so if you need more substance you should give it a try.**

**Also make sure to leave me a review with what you think of the story and my writing when you are done reading. All comments are greatly appreciated. :)**

**I am not JKR. I do not own Harry Potter. If you want to think I do, I guess you can go ahead, I don't but I can't stop you from thinking that. Although if you do actually believe that, you might want to get that checked out.**

_**1991**_

_ "Yuck!" I said trying to scrub out the cauldron, some of it had splashed up against my robes. What had they been making? Rotted eel eyes soup? Snape's detention was proving worse than I had imagined. The twin terrors were as sour as usual. Instead of taking the detention seriously, they took the opportunity to mock me and throw slime at each other whenever Professor Snape was to engrossed in his grading to notice._

_ The dungeons were extra miserable. The room was hot and the air was stickig as the fumes floated up. We had to heat up some of the mixtures to get some of the left over potion out. Cleaning the cauldron with a cut arm, even if it was wrapped up was impossible. My arm throbbed as I scrubbed. I tried to scrub with my right arm instead of my left, but even then my arm hurt so much. I don't know what cut me, it must have been something nasty. I would have died if it wasn't for Madam Pomfrey._

_ One of them decided to fling gunk my way. It landed on my good arm. I gasped and lurched back nearly falling off of the stool. The warm liquid seeped through my robes and onto my skin. I looked up at them scathing._

_ "Rosie, if you just to scrub instead of looking miserable it comes up easier. Making faces doesn't help it either. You look like there is a dung bomb permanently stuck under your nose." One of them said. He was sitting at the table to the right while the other one was to the left. _

_ "I don't know Georgie, if I was an eels eye and I saw her looking like that I might just run away." Fred said. _

_ "I am scrubbing, this just isn't coming out." I said enunciating every word. "Professor Snape!" I called out, the professor was up at the front of the room grading papers. _

_ "Yes Ms. Malfoy?" He drawled out, uninterested. _

_ "One of them threw some of the potion onto my arm." I said starting to cry. The potion is probably poisonous. I was going to die and my head of house didn't care._

_ "Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley. As for your arm, it is just Brew of Manderley, it is harmless and doesn't need to be washed off, especially since it isn't on your injured arm. Finish cleaning the cauldrons." He said with out looking up. _

_ "Sir, how do you know which arm it was? It could be my injured arm." I said._

_ "I know Ms. Malfoy, because if it was your injured arm you would be shrieking so loud that the whole castle would hear and since my eardrums are still intact I can only infer that it was your good arm." He said. _

_ The twin terrors snickered at that. I glared up at them. Yesterday Fred might have been my hero, but today there was a new hero who was much more respectable. Myron Wagtail of the Weird Sisters. His voice was so beautiful that stars weep at the sound. _

_ I went back to scrubbing the cauldron. I tried not to look at the twins as they continued to harass me. _

_ Hours must have passed as I scrubbed. I just couldn't take it any more, my arm hurt so much. The fumes were starting to get to me._

_ "If I scrub any more I may just die." I said. _

_ "Sure you will, just like it will kill you to try to smile more often."_

_ "I do smile, I'm just not wasting my smiles on you or scrubbing out cauldrons." I said. _

_ "You shouldn't say things like that Rosie, you never know one day you might just fancy me, if you don't already." Fred said winking at me. _

_ "Professor can we please stop for today? My arm is hurting so much, I don't know if I can even wave my wand." I said ignoring his comment. I was not going to waste my time fancying some blood traitor. _

_ "Ms. Malfoy which hand do you use to do spells?" Professor Snape asked looking up._

_ "My right one of course." I said, what did that have to do with anything?_

_ "And which arm is the one that is hurt?" He asked._

_ "My left one." I said. _

_ "Then why can't you do spells?" He asked._

_ "Because my arm hurts and I cannot possibly concentrate." I said. Professor Snape was being so unfair. "My Father will not be please to hear about this."_

_ "Spoilt brat" George said then in a mimicking voice. "My Father" _

_ "My Father, is a curring toadstool." Fred said in a high pitched imitation of my voice._

_ "At least I don't go round hexing the other houses." I snapped back at them. _

_ "No, you just go round hexing first years and Muggle-borns." George said. "I saw you got some little Slytherin first year, what was her name...the pug faced girl. And then you also got some little Hufflepuff boy._

_ "She was asking for it, she was giving me an attiude. As for the Hufflepuff, do I really need to explain why I hexed him? He's a Mudblood." I said._

**1996**

"Hey Rosaline! Wait up!" It was a cold morning and I had just turned the corner of the girls dormitories to get to breakfast before my first class of the second week of the semester, the dreadful Defense Against the Dark Arts, when I heard Pansy Parkinson calling after me. She was a pug-faced girl, with the mouth so large that a fully grown troll could fit into it with ease, which all of the boys in Slytherin and a professor or two knew oh so intimately.

"What?" I asked her stopping. She held back so that we were the only two in the hall.

"I just wanted to say congratulations." She said with her false smile.

"Congratulations for what?" I asked.

"You know what." She said urging me on.

"No, I clearly don't. You will just have to enlighten me." I said smiling at her.

"OK, don't tell me any secrets, we're only best friends." She said trying to sound hurt.

"We're not 'best friends' Pansy, we're not even acquaintances. We never have been nor ever will be. And in case you've forgotten that we don't even get a long. Our relationship is stuck in the you worship my brother, but on the side sleep with every guy you meet, and my eternal hatred for you and will to torment you every chance that I get. It's never going to change away from that, so accept your loss to enjoy my company and move on.

"I do not sleep with every guy I meet, I would never sleep with a Mudblood or a blood traitor."

"Oh right then that just leaves all the Muggles. You know, I never took you for a secret Muggle lover Pansy. But now that you confess to it I am touched that you confided in me." I said in reply.

"I would never sleep with a Muggle." She hissed back at me. Some first years walked out of their room.

"Don't stand around, don't you have classes to get to." Pansy said, frightening them, and moving them along.

"Oh great, your harassing the first years now? You know you are in a position of responsibility and that is highly looked down upon."

"Like that ever stopped you." She said.

"Actually it did, I just have a special place for you." I said smiling.

"So then you are going to tell me about your engagement. It is exciting, I wish I could be with somebody who actually takes action for what they believe in." She said. I know that she is thinking about Draco, but Draco is in the same league as Rabastan. Draco was ready to sign up and take the mark last summer. It was good of Mother to talk him out of it for a few years, not like it will dissuade him for long.

"I do too, about taking action. Good men follow their beliefs." I said, thinking about Fred. He stood up to the blood supremacists. His courage and bravery was more respectable that blood. Even though he would make jokes at somebody expense and play cruel jokes on people, he would always be one of the firsts to stand up to somebody when there was an injustice.

"So you are engaged to him then?" Pansy said brightening.

"I didn't say that." I said

"Don't worry I won't tell anybody. I know it must be tough on you to have to carry such a huge secret around, when you must be bursting to tell people. You know you can trust me. If you need somebody to talk to." She said, it was cute how she could go from trying to gain information for malicious reasons to wanting to be my best friend.

"Yeah it is hard to carry around secrets, but that isn't one of mine." I said. "Good talk, but I have friends that I have to confide all of my secrets in and you are not one of them."

"Fine be difficult, but at least tell me that have you heard about what happen 15 years ago?" Pansy said her eyes narrowing. If she wasn't Draco's girlfriend and probably future wife I would just hex her to get her out of my way, but since I would have to deal with her and him for more than the next six months I refrained.

"No, why would I care what happened then?" I said annoyed, I knew Rabastan was a Death Eater then and now, and as much as it disgusts me, the exact details I don't care for, the title alone was enough to make me sick and I was stuck being his fiancée.

"Oh I just thought you would know or would want to know that you aren't the first future Mrs. Lestrange."

"I know, that would be my Aunt Bellatrix. I would think I would know my own family, I think you better take notes or make a tree seeing how hard it will you to keep up in the future. And I'm not the future Mrs. Lestrange, I don't know where you heard that rumor but it is not true." I said.

"You think your so funny to pretend that you aren't involved. Everybody knows, well those who matter do. I wasn't talking about your aunt, I was talking about Rabastan's-"

"Rabastan hasn't been married, and I'm not involved with him or anybody or any movement." I said cutting her off. In truth for all I knew he could have been, not that I would care. Nobody tells me anything nowadays He certainly never let anything on about his private life, he could be playing for the other team and I would be none the wiser.

"If you really want to believe that, fine, but even in your denial you should know that you aren't his first."

"What do you mean?"

"There was another woman before you. His first was another respectable Pureblood. She went missing one week before the wedding. It must have been so hard on him, so nobody ever talked about it. That's why nobody has ever heard of her. Rumor has it that she didn't feel the same way as him on certain things."

"Like what?" I asked. She was just trying to provoke a response from me and I would do my best not to give it to her.

"Oh I don't know what exactly they differed on and it's not like she is around so that you could ask, maybe she didn't want to sit around and play housewife. Maybe she was to much like your aunt. Or maybe she was secretly in love with somebody else."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I just thought you might like to know." She said smiling that awful smile of hers and walked off to beakfast. She was sickening, it was only a scare tactic, but is it true? How had she known that I was engaged? Did Draco tell her?

I knew I needed to talk directly to Rabastan about this. I walked back into the privacy of my room. I would be alright if I skipped breakfast this morning. I went over to my trunk and opened it. I took out the small mirrored compact. I started to open it but froze. How would Rabastan react to me asking about his private life? Should I even bring it up?

More importantly, why did I suddenly have the urge to talk to him. He was somewhat charming and charismatic, in the same way that a cobra is; dark and dangerous. Setting the compact down I decided that I should go and see Draco instead.

After classes were all over I walked into his dorm to see if he was there first and luckily he was.

"Get lost." I said to Crabbe and Goyle. I swear for how much time he spends with them it surprises me that he still has brain cells, conversations with those two was as enlightening as dropping a cinder block on ones head.

"Make us." Goyle said back. I quickly pulled my wand out of my robes. Pointing it at his face, I gave him a stern look.

"Do you really want me to because I will." I said. They both scrambled to get out of the room, tripping over each other. I turned back to Draco. I picked up one of the rolls of parchment laying on the bed and smacked him as hard as I could in the head.

"You prat why did you go and tell your girlfriend about my engagement?" I asked him in a hushed whisper, we were alone but you never could be sure nobody was listening in.

"She's not my girlfriend." Draco said in a flat tone.

"Right, I'm not as thick as your friends. So pardon me while I don't believe you. You told Pansy."

"No I didn't."

I smacked him in the head again.

"Stop! I swear I didn't tell her. It's not exactly a secret, people told their kids. Bellatrix was over the moon with excitement. She told every person she could find."

"Bella was not over the moon. She just wants me to join the Death Eaters or find away that I step aside, by giving me a 'dream wedding' she is making sure that I find a respectable marriage. She doesn't care about a wedding, she only cares about killing Muggles and non-supporters of the Dark Lord. How could you even believe that she does? She is the worst actress in the world."

"I can't wait to join. I could be so much use, it would be better than wasting my time here. I'm not even learning anything." He said dejectedly. "So what if she doesn't actually want the wedding. It's not a big deal."

"No big deal? Draco I'm engaged to a Death Eater, who escaped from Azkaban, and is one of the most wanted wizards in Britain. How is that not a big deal?"

"It's not a big deal because nobody is going to find out. Only the people closest to us know."

"Yeah that may be right now. But Pansy has the biggest mouth around the school, as you already know, so soon everybody will." I said. I paused and then tried a different approach to talking to him. "Did you know that Rabastan was engaged fifteen yeas ago?"

"No, why would I know that or even care? That is ages ago anyways, you shouldn't care either. Wait. Are you jealous?" He said.

"No-" I started to protest.

"I think you are, your jealous that your not his first and that there was somebody there before you. Oh you like him and you are happy to be getting married. Oh this is so sweet if only Mum was here to see, I think I may cry. I shall write to her at once." He said feigning tears.

"You will not. If that owl gets intercepted and the ministry finds out that we have escaped prisoners of Azkaban at our house how happy do you think they will be?" I hissed at him. "The Dark Lord doesn't want anybody knowing he is out, and if the ministry starts believing that Black has nothing to do with the escape they will suspect Dad and the whole family will be in trouble. Do you think you could get by if Dad didn't get you out of trouble every time you failed to do something right?"

"No I couldn't and Black could be caught at anytime, look at how stupid he was to go to Platform 9¾. I'm not worried about him, and I can take care of myself."

"Really? Then why did you end up getting so many detentions and end up going into the forest first year?"

"That was because of Potter."

"Yeah you do a lot of stupid things when he is around." I said. I could see that Draco wasn't going to be any help when it came to Rabastan, but I had to try one last time.

"Rabastan's first fiancée went missing one week before the wedding." I said.

"So? He probably doesn't care about her any more, and he does seem to be fond of you. You should have seen him over the break, he couldn't take his eyes off of you. Every time that you spoke he just gravitated towards you. If it really bothers you, talk to him Rosaline. Once you are married you will have to anyways. Seeing how he feels for you, I don't think it would hurt for you to ask." He said. Draco may often times be a prat but whenever I needed him he always came through in the end.

From the enchanted window, in the blueish moonlight the shadows danced along the cold stone floor and the stone bricks with the Slytherin crust was hung. The windows much like the Great Hall reflected the weather outside, it was softly snowing. I was staring at the ceiling since I first went to bed. The events of the past few weeks played over and over in my head. I knew I needed to talk to Rabastan.

Who was this woman before me? Was she really his fiancée? It isn't really my place to be asking him, but I do feel that I should know. What bothers me more is why did she go missing? What issues did she hold a differing opinion on? Why hadn't he told me, and when would he have said something? Would he ever have told me?

Was I really jealous of her? I didn't even know her name. I couldn't be I didn't feel anything for him and we hold such different beliefs. Why did I care? Maybe it was because she suddenly went missing. Maybe she also had feelings for somebody else. Maybe that other man was not up to the standards set by society. Pansy said that she was a respectable pure-blood, as am I, but what if she didn't feel the same towards blood status? I know he was and still is capable of hurting people, he loyally sat with the Dark Lord planning Potter's death and talked the enslavement of Muggle. Oh the horrors they talked about. I could hardly stomach it, and he would just sit there, enthralled by what they were saying.

I couldn't take it any more, the questions were burning up inside of me. I had to talk to Rabastan. I slowly crept out of bed. Luckily the four other girls who inhabited the room were still fast asleep. I could hear Rochelle snoring above all of the other girls. Living with her was like living with a bear. Books and papers were strewn around her bed. She might as well be a werewolf, as the hygiene is the same.

I tiptoed over to my trunk and took out the small pouch that held the compact. I silently walked out of the room and into the corridor that led to the great hall. It was the middle of the night so the large stone room was empty. The fire was reduced to embers. I sat down in one of the large leather arm chairs close to the fire. The chair was perfectly positioned so that if somebody awoke and decided to come in, I would know in advance.

I carefully took the small silver compact out of its pouch. The silver swirls and glittery stars were beautiful. The stars aligned and pointed towards the wall across from me showing that that way was north. I started to open it but stopped. Would Rabastan even be up at this hour? I took a deep breath and started to open the compact.

**Rabastan's POV**

I left the living room where I had been sitting with Rodolphus, Lucius, Bellatrix, and Narcissa. We had been enjoying a late night drink before bed. We had discussed Draco's plans once he took the mark. It was only a matter of time before he did. Narcissa had convinced him to wait until he got out of school, but I would give him only a few months before he did. Draco was growing up into a strong young man. His parents should be proud.

We also discussed was why Potter hadn't gone to see the prophecy for himself yet. The Dark Lord had shown him where it was many many times. He knew it was in the ministry, he had seen Lucius outside of the department of mysteries after his hearing over the summer. It was strange that he hadn't investigated it yet, from what I had heard about the boy he seemed brazen and rash, it was odd that he was acting so uncharacteristically now.

As I walked up the stairs to the guest room I couldn't help but my thoughts turned to Rosaline. As for her future, well she would make a wonderful and respectable housewife. To bad she didn't want to take the mark, I could see her doing well as a Death Eater, as well as Bellatrix. What a pair they would be, the original Death Eater and the new one fighting hand in hand for the purity of the world. It was a beautiful sight really, they looked so much alike. Rosaline was the younger version of Bellatrix, beautiful and talented and quick witted. The first time I saw her, even though just hours earlier I had escaped from Azkaban with Bellatrix, I thought I was seeing a ghost. Bellatrix had once been young and lively, but slowly after school she turned fierce and cold. At her and Rodolphus's wedding she seemed a bit happy, but was more impassive as if she didn't care who she was marrying as long as she got her wedding.

In bed I thought about how our wedding would be, her looking at me smiling. She would be happy at our wedding, she would look forward to our future. But as fate had it that didn't happen. I was at the same time engaged to my last fiancée. That was one of the worst mistakes I ever made. That woman would make a mockery of any man. She seemed perfect, but smile at other men while my back was turned and expect me to go on normally. She would say that there was nothing I could do since I loved Bella and she loved my brother. I couldn't marry her in the end. When I found out what she had done, I couldn't bare the scandal or having a bastard child raised as my own. I would not be the perfect fool.

With Rosaline things would be different. She would love and I would love her just as much as if I was with Bella. Rosaline would be faithful and obedient. She may not join the cause, but her mind may change in the future and if it doesn't, once order is restored it won't really matter because she will be mine.

I took out the two way mirror, it was the other half to Rosaline's. I looked at it as I had every night, hoping that maybe she wanted to talk. I prepared for the heart shattering disappointment that came with every night that I wouldn't see her. I set the mirror back down on my chest and looked up at the ceiling. That similar tightness in my throat that was the companion of the heartache once again came.

Suddenly the mirror felt warm. Could it be? Could it be that tonight was the night that she was actually there and wanted to see me also? I picked back up the mirror to see her looking back at me.

"Um, Hello." She said.

**Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The Cave, Chapter 5

Summer 1992

"Oi! Georgie! Look at Malfoy." Fred said to his twin as the walked into Flurish and Blotts. The small bookstore was crowded with people, it wasn't unusual for the store to be crowded with students and their parents buying books for the new semester, but today the author Gilderoy Lockheart was there signing his books. Seeing as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher assigned all of his books, she must be a fan of his. Mum sure was, even if she knew how to do something by heart she would still consult his books. When the twins were seven they had tried to see what the all the fuss was about with the books, but some how instead of banishing a troll from their house they had managed to completely removed their older brother's nose. It was quite fun really, but their mother had been furious and Percy still wasn't over it.

"Ha! Rosie looks like she piled on extra make-up today, she doesn't usually wear that much, seems a bit odd for just going to buy books." George replied, looking up to see Rosaline Malfoy; another fourth year student but in their rival house, Slytherin. She was slightly above average height with curly dark brown hair instead of the blond hair that the rest of the family had. Today on top of her usual turned up nose and look of constant constipation, she was wearing more make up than the Weird Sisters wear at a show. She had on an unnatural color of pink on her lips and blue eye shadow which prematurely aged her.

As she stood behind the bookshelf anxiously waiting for Lockheart to arrive, she slightly pulled down her shirt to show off more of her hardly existent chest that some how grew into a singular watermelon in the short months of the holiday.

* * *

>Rather than wear the normal school uniform, she inverted it with whites and pinks and a neck-scarf. She looked like one of the puddles that Muggles dress up for dog shows, and then was attacked by make up brushes was the only way Fred could describe her new look nicely.<p><p>

"Professor Lockheart?" I said raising my hand. It was the beginning of class and he hadn't noticed me yet. During all of the classes I made sure that he noticed me. I also made sure to always put on make up and do my hair.

"Yes, Roswell?" He said

"It's Rosaline." I said.

"Oh, my bad, sorry. Yes Rosalind?" He said smiling that million watt smile.

"It's Rosaline, sir."

"Of course it is. What's in a name anyways?" He said dismissing the whole ordeal. Your question?"

"Oh. Um, how do you identify a werewolf?"

"Oh, at a full moon, a person turns into a wolf." He said after stopping to think for a few seconds.

"But how do you tell them apart from a regular wolf?" I asked.

"They have a bushier tail than regular wolves do."

"Werewolves don't have a tail, sir." Fred Weasley cut into our conversation. Of course he was trying to show up Professor Lockheart. He must have been having a bad day is all.

"Nice face." Fred Weasley said before I could turn around.

I bet you were expecting a whole chapter? Yeah, I kinda thought it would be too. Oh wait, no I didn't! :P

**Happy April Fools! **

**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! Sorry it took me a long time to update! So I feel that I need to kinda explain what happened, for why I haven't updated in so long. So two days after I wrote my two joke chapters I found out my roommates brother was killed, during the time that I was writing the chapters. So basically I lost all interest in writing MM and TC because of it and anytime I though of them it just made me sick and want to start crying. No, I didn't know him at all, but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to write because of it.**

**It's a lame excuse I know and I'm sorry.**

**Then a few months ago I decided to start back up on them, but never had the time due to a really stressful period in school due to the fact that last semester I had to apply for progression in my program(from pre-professional to professional level) and I made it! (which btw for my school is HUGE, you either progress or you change majors/schools)**

**So school is still stressful, but I'm managing better and now I'm finding time to write. I hope will have more frequent updates. I've already started on MM chapter 11 and will have that up soon! *crosses fingers***

**Oh also! I didn't have anybody proofread this, so it may have some mistakes because I wanted to post it as quickly as possible. Enjoy**

**Also I only own the plot and original characters. No infringement intended.**

The Cave Chapter 6

"Um, Hello." I said when I saw Rabastan looking back from the mirror. He must have had it on him since he was there so fast. I had sat down rather stiffly in one of the leather arm chairs in the common room facing the fire. It was slowly dieing out, but it was still enough to warm the room from the chill outside and provide some light. Nobody should be up at this time so it should be safe to talk. But unfortunately "should be" isn't always "is" and tonight was one of the nights I needed to be undiscovered. The item I was talking on is what would be considered a dark object and the man I was talking to is an escapee from Azkaban. Seeing as I had to question Rabastan about his past relationship, I was rather jumpy. Who knows if he would be open to my questions. Even if we are to be married he may want to keep his previous relationships to himself. I wouldn't blame him for it, but I was still curious none the less.

Before I could say anything else there was a small creak behind me. I whipped my head to see what it was-nothing. Just the creaking of an old castle.

"Afraid of the dark?" A cool smooth voice with a slight chuckle said from down at the bottom of my hand. I looked back down at my fiancé.

"No." I replied quickly. A little to quickly to prove that I wasn't, but he had caught me off guard. "I thought I heard a noise." He let out a barking laugh at that.

"That old castle always has made noises, shouldn't you be used to it by now?" He asked me.

"I am, it's just-" I started, He didn't seem to interested in my response and mid-sentence he interrupted me.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of you calling on me?" He asked.

"I just wanted to talk...to get to know you better." I said. In the short time that I had known him—and the even shorter time of our engagement, we did not hold more than five full conversations.

"And what did you want to talk about?" He asked with a smile settling into his pillow more—one of my family's pillows in one of our guest rooms, the one a few doors down from my room.

" .. I..um.. how are you?" I stumbled off guard. I had thought about what I would say when I saw him, but words were at a loss to me now and I hope that he would say something that would lead into a conversation about his past. He slightly raised an eyebrow questioning my response.

"I'm as well as I can be." he replied curtly which left us in a moment of awkward silence. Seeing that he wasn't going to openly offer anything I realized that it would be easier to rip the bandage off faster rather than ease into it. Seeing how much he enjoyed reminiscing about his time at Hogwarts while I was on holiday I tried that approach.

"Tell me more about your time at school." I blurted out. He looked confused about my question, but seemed to accept it as a step forward for me accepting of our relationship.

"were there...were there any girls?" I asked, it felt awkward asking him that and I was sure that he would puck up on it like a shark picks up on blood in water.

"There has always been girls at Hogwarts, Rose." Rabastan said with a chuckle.

"I was meaning...um...did you...was there...somebody...before me?" I stumble out. His smile vanishes along with what little warmth was in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be prying. I'll understand if you say that it's none of my business." I blurt out. After a long pause he responds.

"No, I guess it isn't really any of your business, but I can see why you would be interested, and I will oblige you for sake of us getting closer." He says. I can tell that he doesn't want to talk about it, but I am thankful that he will. "I guess I should be happy that you are taking an interest in me."

"There was someone else-two someones to be exact- one was my first love. She was lively and spirited, a fire cracker, she was fearless, she would go to the end of the earth to get what she wanted.-Honestly speaking Rose, you remind me of her-but she was always unreachable. She was in a league of her own. I pined for her, but she pushed me away. She enjoyed the chase but not the catch." He was zoned out looking away as he recalled this lost woman. The light behind his eyes dimmed as he neared the end.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"She is a siren who was lost to madness from listening to her own songs." He replied, still looking away recalling this woman of his youth.

"And the other one. Well she was my last fiancée. She would have been a respectable marriage, arranged and loveless. But her family had their secrets, like all of ours do. One day I was in the library looking up my wizarding genealogy when I saw her line. I was interested, even though she was a pure blood she was tainted- we all are at some point in history- and I found out about her family. They weren't as pure as they had said. I thought I would over look it since it was long ago, but I made the mistake of telling Rodolphus, who insisted that I confront her about it. He said that she had lied to me and could never be truthful or faithful in a marriage and it would ultimately ruin the family name. Against what I thought was my better judgment I went to confront her. When I found her...I found her in the arms of another man. When she saw me, the look upon her face was of utter horror, she pleaded with me and begged. I was overcome by emotion and I told her I would over look her indiscretion if she gave him up. She agreed and life seemed to move on. But she grew more elusive and distant and I became suspicious. I sought council from Rodolphus and he insisted on watching her. A week before the wedding she disappeared, distraught I went to Rodolphus again for his help. He agreed and again and enlisted Bella, seeing as maybe another woman could help the situation. We set off and tracked down the man that I had originally found her with. Upon finding him, we found her too..." He trailed off. His mood so darkened, I didn't want his attention back on me. "It was the last time I ever saw her. It had to be done really, her indiscretions couldn't be allowed to tarnish the family name." He said talking to himself-trying to convince himself that it was the right thing to be done-and with a jerk his eyes were back on me. Watching me, to see if I realized-and I had- that he had killed her. It may not have been him, but it doesn't seem like he would have done anything to stop it. I had always known what he was capable of-he, Bellatrix, my father, the whole lot of them- but I had never truly realized that these people, weren't just people they were monsters who felt no remorse. Now I realized why he was locked up and that he belonged in Azkaban. He deserved to rot in there.

At his words I felt completely repulsed and my stomach rose and tried to hold back the urge to vomit.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away there, I didn't mean to upset you." He said softening a bit. "It's late you should get to bed." and with out another word he was gone. I shut the compact quickly as I rushed into the bathroom where I had just made it in time before I emptied the contents of my stomach into the nearest chamber pot.

I coughed, as I tried to pull my self up, when from behind me I heard the water running.

"Here, this will clear out your mouth." said Pansy Parkinson, who handed me a glass of water and a wash cloth. I took them and washed out my mouth.

"Thanks." I said. "Being sick is the worst."

"I heard everything." She said.

"You heard nothing." I said.

"-And I won't tell a soul." She said with a smile.

"You're a real saint Pansy." I said sarcastically and shoved my way past her up to my room.

Sitting in the chair before Herbology started the next day I felt a spit wad hit the side my my cheek. I wiped it off and looked around to see Fred Weasley grinning at me.

"I'm already sick Weasley, do you have to make it worse?" I shouted at him.

"Aww, did you find your glasses and look at your boyfriend today Malfoy?" he said back tauntingly.

"I don't wear glasses nor do I have a boyfriend." I retorted trying to look back over my notes of what we had covered the previous class.

"Oh did you look in the mirror today?" His twin blurted in. "I swear you look like you are dead, did you get bitten by a vampire? You know Lockheart will have a cure for that, if you want to go see him." George winked at me. "Although I don't quite think he will help much in St. Mungos, and he might also sign your copy of witch weekly rumor has it he can write again."

"If he could remember his name" Fred said. They both laughed along with a few of their Gryffindor friends.

"Leave me alone." I said.

Professor Sprout walked into the green house a second later.

"Professor! Rosie's sick, can she be excused for the day?" One of the twins asked.

"I'm fine Professor Sprout." I said glaring at them. "It's just a bug, that will be over soon enough." She nodded and started up the lesson. All through out it I could hear the twin terrors behind me making remarks to anything I or anybody else said.

After a long and tedious class period full of the plants and herbs that seventh years are supposed to know it was finally let out. I walked out of the room and started up the hill back up to the castle. I heard Fred Weasley call out to me.

"Hey Rosie! Hold up a sec let me walk with you."

"What do you want now?" I asked, eager to get away from him.

"I just want to make sure that you don't die on the way up to the castle." He said, flashing me a smile.

"Right." I said not believing a word. "And you want me to believe that?"

"OK well maybe you wont die." He said with a pause. "Care for a toffee?" He said pulling a small bag of sweets out of his pocket.

"With where those have been? I'll pass." I said.

"You sure? It will make you feel better" He sad holing them out to me. I shook my head and tried to walk further ahead.

"Thanks, but I doubt I will need it." I said in response. "It's probably hexed with something, giving what you do to Slytherins any chance that you get."

"True, but I have no reason to poison you, you can just test it out and if it works we know that we can use in our jokes." He said.

"You would give me something experimental, knowing that it might just explode or blow my head up whenever I try it?" I said.

"Well yeah, but the rewards are worth the consequences for both of us. You get better, I get a joke. It's a win-win, and also it hasn't had any bad reactions in the last few weeks-that is if I grabbed the right toffees this time. I think I did" He said looking up trying to remember. That did not make me feel any better, but him at least having the slightest hint of a thought to help me out did seem sweet.

"Don't let Professor Umbridge or Filch see you with those." I warned to him quietly.

"They won't." He replied quietly before he asked, "So are you sure you aren't dating Flint?"

"Flint's a toadstool, that I can't even stand to be in the same room with." I said laughing. I noticed his hand had brushed by mine and I felt my insides squirm a bit.

"Oh, hmm maybe you had to many chocolates after supper last night?" He asked

"No, I'm not to fond of chocolates and sweets" I said.

"Oh you're killing me Rosie. Everybody likes sweets." He said as we neared the top of the hill.

"Oy! Fred! You joining us?" Called out his twin who was a little was ahead with Lee Jordan.

"Sure I'll be there in a second!" He called back to him. I felt his hand cup mine and I quickly pulled it away. As I did I felt him push something into it. I stopped to look down at what he had given me and I found one of the toffees he had offered me. I looked back up to see him already joined up with them as they entered the castle. Fred Weasley was one of the rare creatures that you could love one second and want to hex the next.

For a moment I had a flash of what it would be like to be with him, but instantly I felt sick to my stomach all over again. I was engaged to Rabastan, he was my future, which was going to be dreary and never a moment of happiness. I would never be able to be with Fred. A few years ago when I thought I was in love with him, and now recognized as a silly school girl crush, there might have been a chance had things been different. If I was able to escape this life and the Dark Lord hadn't returned, there might have been a chance. But no, fate wouldn't allow that. It was so much deeper than our families, our houses, our blood ties. Fate was in control of our lives and there was nothing that could change it. I would have to accept it and try to forget what I had thought I wanted because it would never happen.

The first thing I did when I got back into the castle was find the girls bathroom and flush the toffee down the toilet.

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE review! :)**

**Also Miridea-** Don't worry Rose will loosen up a bit, but it will take sometime for her to be fully off of her guard. I would say that she doesn't have a crush on him but at times(not this chapter though) she does tend to like him, and she does try to give him a chance and forget Fred, but given the summary Fred will win.


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